Phyllis Diller, outlandish comedian, dies at 95

Los Angeles Times

Phyllis Diller, whose career in comedy clubs spanned nearly 50 years, died in her sleep Monday at her longtime home in Brentwood. Diller was a self-described "cartoon," a zany housewife-turned-comedian with an electrified hairdo who broke into the male-dominated world of stand-up comedy in the 1950s with an outlandish wardrobe and a barrage of self-deprecating jokes punctuated by her trademark guffaw. She inspired a new generation of funny ladies. During her long career, she was in more than two dozen movies, including three with Bob Hope, with whom she also appeared on numerous TV specials and traveled with to Vietnam to entertain U.S. troops. She also was the host of a 1964 TV talent show called "Show Street" and starred in the 1966-67 situation comedy "The Pruitts of Southampton" (renamed "The Phyllis Diller Show" midway through the season) and the 1968 comedy-variety series "The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show." But the outlandish Diller always shined best in nightclubs and concert halls, where one of her favorite targets was her domestic life, including her fictional husband "Fang." Full obituary: Phyllis Diller, outlandish comedian, dies at 95 | Photos: Phyllis Diller: 1917-2012 | Photos: Celebrities react to Phyllis Diller's death

Phyllis Diller, whose career in comedy clubs spanned nearly 50 years, died in her sleep Monday at her longtime home in Brentwood. Diller was a self-described "cartoon," a zany housewife-turned-comedian with an electrified hairdo who broke into the male-dominated world of stand-up comedy in the 1950s with an outlandish wardrobe and a barrage of self-deprecating jokes punctuated by her trademark guffaw. She inspired a new generation of funny ladies. During her long career, she was in more than two dozen movies, including three with Bob Hope, with whom she also appeared on numerous TV specials and traveled with to Vietnam to entertain U.S. troops. She also was the host of a 1964 TV talent show called "Show Street" and starred in the 1966-67 situation comedy "The Pruitts of Southampton" (renamed "The Phyllis Diller Show" midway through the season) and the 1968 comedy-variety series "The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show." But the outlandish Diller always shined best in nightclubs and concert halls, where one of her favorite targets was her domestic life, including her fictional husband "Fang." Full obituary: Phyllis Diller, outlandish comedian, dies at 95 | Photos: Phyllis Diller: 1917-2012 | Photos: Celebrities react to Phyllis Diller's death (Los Angeles Times)

Phyllis Diller, whose career in comedy clubs spanned nearly 50 years, died in her sleep Monday at her longtime home in Brentwood. Diller was a self-described "cartoon," a zany housewife-turned-comedian with an electrified hairdo who broke into the male-dominated world of stand-up comedy in the 1950s with an outlandish wardrobe and a barrage of self-deprecating jokes punctuated by her trademark guffaw. She inspired a new generation of funny ladies. During her long career, she was in more than two dozen movies, including three with Bob Hope, with whom she also appeared on numerous TV specials and traveled with to Vietnam to entertain U.S. troops. She also was the host of a 1964 TV talent show called "Show Street" and starred in the 1966-67 situation comedy "The Pruitts of Southampton" (renamed "The Phyllis Diller Show" midway through the season) and the 1968 comedy-variety series "The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show." But the outlandish Diller always shined best in nightclubs and concert halls, where one of her favorite targets was her domestic life, including her fictional husband "Fang." Full obituary: Phyllis Diller, outlandish comedian, dies at 95 | Photos: Phyllis Diller: 1917-2012 | Photos: Celebrities react to Phyllis Diller's death